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B. ANDREWS AND W. C. AVERILL, 111.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYD'ROCARBONS.

APPLICATION HLED 153.111,1917.

l 98 l 46% Pmnd Aug. 5, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

B,I ANDREWS AND W. C. AVERILI., IR.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I0, I9I7.

LMQAD?, Patented Aug. 5,1919. E l s SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l@ Wa A1 C k E E E X L@ f x m D I k B. ANDREWS AND W. C. AVERILL APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCAHBONS.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 y APPLICATION FILED FEB. I0, 1917.

.IIISIQ other light, easily volatile liquids.

' arising UNITED www BENJAMIN AND-NEWS, or HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND' WILLABD c. AVERILL, JBL',

MERAUX, LOUISIANA.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

i I APPIRATUS FOR TREATING- HYDROGARBONS.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919).

`App1cationii1ed February 10, 1917. Serial-No. 147,780.

To all whom 'it 'may concern .5

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN AN- DREWS, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of TeXas,.and AVERILL, J r., residing at MerauX, in the parish of St. Bernard and State of Louisiana, both citizens of the United States, have invented-or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Treat- WILLARD C.

ing Hydrocarbons, of whichthe following is' a full, clear, and complete disclosure.

Our -invention relates to apparatus for treating comparatively heavy petroleum and other hydrocarbon oils and their distillates and derivatives, in order 'to produce from such heavy oils a large yield of gasolene or One object of our invention is to provide apparatus of the-kind described, which will be safe and efficient, and by the use of which large yields of gasolene and light hydrocarbon liquids may be obtained from heavy oils, and which will be free from trouble from the accumulation''of carbon. Other objects and advantages ofeur invention will be obvious from the following specification. s j

In plractisin our "invention, we cause heavy ydrooar on oil, or the vapors thereof to be heated and conveied into lighter liquids by passing it through tubes con# taining a heated liquid of such a character that it will not distil or vaporize at the temperature required for converting the oil. The arrangement employed is such that the liquid in the tubes is mixed with the oil vapors, and is rapidly circulated through the tubes. When operating in this way, we nd that the tubes may be comparatively short; that large quantities of oil may be assed through them,

- lene may be obtained from heavy oils that would yield practically no gasolene if sub-l jected to moreover,

a straight distillation process; we ind that the presence ofthe particularly'when kept in rapid circulation, eiectively prevents the accumulation of carbon, so that after eXtensive runs the tubes remain practically clean. Our process may be carried out at atmosheric pressure, but we prefer to maintain the heated liquid in the tubes under a uniform pressure, pressure. may

higher than atmospheric This super-atmospheric pressure be obtained by restricting and regulatand that large yields o gasoemployed, and this i separated out, and then to a condenser maintained at a comparatively low temperature but also preferably maintained under pressure, in which condenser the light oils are condensed and drawn o.

In thev drawing accompanying and Jforming a part of this specification, We have illustrated apparatus embodying and adapted Jfor use in practising our invention, which will be readily understood from a description of this apparatus and its Imode of operation.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical section of the complete installation; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the urnace, including the ltubes containing the heated liquid and through which the hydrocarbon is to be passed; Fig. 3 is a detail section view of two of the tubes. Fig. 4 is a detail section view of the pressure regulating valve employed to maintain pressure in the still and condensers.

Referring in detail to the drawing, we have shown at 1 a furnace Which may be of any conventional type. This furnace supports a header 2, to the lower side of which there are secured a plurality'of U-shaped tubes 3. -The ends of these U-shaped tubes open into the header 2, and the body of the tubes extends from the header down into the furnace, so asto be heated. A n oil supply pipe 4 is dis osed in one leg of each of the U-shaped tu es, and these pipes 4 'are all connected with a common oil supply header or'pipe 5, so that by opening the cocks 6 and treated maybe caused to yflow down the tubes 4 and into the heated liquid in the pipes The pipes 3 are illed with a heated liquid such as melted lead, which will not distil at the temperature heated liquid extends up into the header, with its surface at the level indicated bythe broken line a, Fig. 1. 7 designates ay dephlegmator or air-cooled condenser, and this is filled with broken.

to the pressure of Steam ioo pottery or other material adapted to expose a large surface to the vapors. This dephlegmator is connected with the header 2 by the pipe/S, and also through the pipe 9 with the water-cooled condenser 10. 11 designates a tank adapted toreceive the light liquids condensed in the condenser l0. Any fixed gases passing into this tank 11 may be permitted to escape through the pipe 12, and the light hydrocarbons may be drawn olf through the pipe 13. When it is desired to operate the apparatus under a uniform pressure, this may conveniently be done by admitting steam into the dephlegmator through the pipe l-l and valve 30, which is preferably a pressure regulating valve adapted to admit steam at the pressure desired.

In using the apparatus described, we proceed as follows:

The heavy hydrocarbon oil is supplied to the header 5 under pressure. and flows from this header down through the small pipes 1 into the melted metal in the tubes 3. This metal is maintained at a temperature suitable for converting the oil, and this will vary with the character of the oil treated. Then treating a distillate of 32 degrees B., we have found a temperature of 500 degrees C. and a pressure of pounds to give good results. It is to be understood, however, that both the pressure and temperature may, and should be varied, in order to get the best results. An operator, by noting the results had with the particular oil treated, can readily determine the most advantageous values fortemperature and pressure. Te preferably provide a thermometer 35 disposed in the liquid in the header, and also a thermometer 37 disposed in the vapors in the header, whereby temperature observations may be made. The melted metal in the tubes is kept in rapid circulation by the liquid, which immediately vaporizes on coming in contact with the metal and rises in the form of bubbles, as indicated in Fig. 3. This causes the lead to rise in one leg of the tube and to descend in thel other, as indicated by the arrows. The valpors pass through the header 2 to the dep legmator, as above explained` and the heavy oils, with any water of condensation accumulating in this device, may be drawn off from time to time through the outlet 17. The lighter vapors pass through the dephlegmator 7 into the water-cooled condenser 10 and are condensed in tank 11, as above explained. The steam admitted through the pipe 14 and reducing valve 30, With eoperation of a preure 4relief and regulating valve 15, which is set so as to throttle the escaping mixture, operates to maintain a uniform pressure throughout the apparatus.

In actual operation the only appreciable accumulation of carbon noted. is on the surface of the melted lead in the header 2, and this may be easily removed by shutting oli'l the oil supply and opening the cock fl() and admitting live steam through cock 41 so 'as to blow out the carbon.

ll'e have found the arrangement described above for separating and condensing the product flowing from the still. by which we mean the tubular apparatus for heating the liquid` to be particularly'adapted for this use. It should be understood, however, that the use of the tubular heating still is in no way limited to such condensing and separating apparatus, as other well-known arrangements may be used.

v The method or process described herein 1n connection with our improved apparatus,

by reason of an ofiicial requirement for division, isnot claimed herein and does not form apart of this invention, but is described and claimed in our pending application Serial No. 254,737, filed September 19, 1918.

While we have disclosed only one arrangement of our improved apparat-us, we are aware that modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of our claims.`

lVhat we claim is 1. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon' oils comprising a tubular circulatory heating system, mea-ns for maintaining a molten metal in said tubular circulatory heating system, and mea-ns for injecting oils into said molten metal and for conducting away the resulting vapors.

2. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils comprising a tubular circulatory heating system, means for maintaining a molten metal in said tubular circulatory heating system, and an interior oil supply pipe disposed in said system and arranged to discharge oil into the said metal for the purpose described.

Y 3. In apparatus of the kind described, a conduit having up and down flow passages, means for heating and maintaining a refractory liquid therein of a kind that will not vaporize at the temperatures employed, means for injecting the hydrocarbon to be treated in the up flow passage of the conduit, and means for separating the resulting vapors from the liquid maintained in the tubes, substantially as described.

4. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils comprising a reservoir, 'a conduit opening into the said reservoir having up flow and down flow passages, means for heating and Inalntamlng a refractoryliquid in said conduit, means for injecting the hydrocarbon to -be treated in the up flow side of the conduit so as to set up a circulation of the l1qu1d thereln, the liquid in said conduit being of a kind that will notl vaporize at. the temperature required for converting the hydrocarbon oil. substantially' as described.

5. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils. comprising a U-shaped tube. a melted metal in said tube. and an interior oil supply pipe disposed in one leg of said "U" tube. and arranged to discharge oil into said melted metal. for the purpose described.

G. A reservoir. a. U-shaped pipe having its open ends secured to and opening into said reservoir. a heated liquid in said pipe, and means for injectingr the substance to be treated into one leg of said U-shaped pipe, said heated liquid being distinct fronithe substance t-o be treated.

T. A reservoir. a U-shaped pipe haring its open ends secured to and opening into said reservoir. a melted metal in said pipe. and means for injecting the oil to be treated into one leg ot' said U-shaped pipe.

S. A reservoir` a plurality of U-shaped tubes. each having its open ends secured to and opening into said ies'eryoir. a melted metal in said tubes. an oil delivery pipe disposed in one leg of each of said U-shaped pipes. all for the purpose described.

9. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils. comprising a. receptacle containing a melted metal. means for passing the oil to be treated through the metal, and means for admitting steam into said receptacle, for the purpose of blowing out. any carbon accumulating on the surfaceI of the metal, substanf tially as described.

10. Apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils. comprising a reservoir7 a tube having its two ends secured to and opening into said reservoir with its body portion in the, form of a loop extending downwardly, the tube and a portion of the reservoir being filled with melted metal. means for heating the metal and maintaining it in melted condition. and means for inject-ing the hydrocarbon to be treated into the met-al contained in the tube. all for the purpose as described.

1l. In apparatus of the kind described a. conduit haring up and down flow passages or sides. means for heating and maintaining a melted metal therein. and means for injecting hydrocarbon to be treated in the up tion' side of the conduit. so as to set up a. rapid circulation of the melted metal through the conduit.

BENJAMIX ANDREWS. VILLARD C. AVERILL, JR. 

